Some questions about Horseshoe Bay

[Fred C]

I will be sailing the EOS and would like to know if it's

better to take a bus or ferry to Horseshoe Bay.

Does anyone have a bus/ferry schedule and what

is the cost? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

[starlake]

It is easier to take the bus directly from the Dockyards. If you take the ferry to Hamilton, you will still have to get on a bus and back track to Horseshoe Bay. The busses are a fun way to see Bermuda and meet the people of Bermuda.

You just have to tell the bus driver you want off at Horseshoe Bay and walk down the hill to the beach. Keep a couple of dollars when you are ready to leave and they will ride you back up to the bus stop and you can decide if you want to go back to the Dockyard or go to Hamilton.

[jchiefs13]

Yep, just hop on the bus - you'll get to cross the smallest drawbridge in the world on the way there :)

 

My two cents (I've been to bermuda twice now) there are lots of fantastic beaches. Sure, Horseshoe bay is beautiful... but it can also be crowded. Just a few weeks ago my niece and I started at the end of Warwick Long Bay furthest from Horseshoe Bay and walked along the water/paths to Jobson's Cove, Chaplin Bay, and Stonehole Bay...

beautiful, and mostly EMPTY.

 

To me, what's better than gorgeous? Gorgeous and all to yourself!

 

Check out the pictures:

http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/welcome.sfly?fid=403871a2402b33393315f89dbf2f35f7&sid=8CaNmzFqxaMpS

 

As to bus and ferry schedules... the frustrating part is how many go by that say "special"... but, it's still the most inexpensive way to get around. A single day pass was $12 and two days was $20. You could even buy them onboard this last trip (they didn't offer that to my recollection on my previous RC cruise to Bermuda).

 

Just find the little concrete shelters... with little posts by them. From King's Wharf they'll have a pink pole if they're headed towards Hamilton and a Blue pole if they're headed to King's Wharf. I think that's right (sorry, now that I typed it I'm second guessing myself).

 

Judy

[dwdwnurse]

We were at Horseshoe last month and it was very crowded! It was a beautiful beach, but lots of people.

 

The next day we went to Elbow Beach and had it all to ourselves - beautiful! The only problem was there were no restrooms/changing rooms, but just up the beach is a resort that you could use.

 

The sand at both beaches is the softest I have ever felt - absolutely beautiful with the pink bits of coral. Enjoy your cruise!

[robtulipe]

What we did to get around Bermuda was to use bus tickets during our cruise visit and a previous land base visit there. There was four of us on each visit and these were cheaper than an all day pass if you were going to and returning from one location only like Horseshoe Bay from the Dockyard. You can buy these at post offices with the closest one to the Dockyard (2 miles away) being the Mangrove Bay sub post office in Somerset village. Cost of 15 tickets are $20 for three zones and $30 for fourteen zones or anywhere on island ticket or $2 per bus trip. Bermuda is divided into fourteen bus zones and the Dockyard is in zone 13 and Horseshoe is in zone 9 or the fifth zones away so a 14 zone ticket would be needed. St. George's is in zone one or the 14th zone away as the zone you are in counts as the 1st zone. For some strange reason St. David's parish, which is zone 14 is between Hamilton Parish (not Hamilton City the capital) which is zone two and St. George's, zone one.

When we were there last, in 2003, there was not a charge for taking the ferry between the Dockyard and Watford Bridge on Somerset Island. You only paid if you were going to or returning from Hamilton. You will have to determine which ferries go from the Dockyard to Watford Bridge as some ferries do the reverse itinerary which is Hamilton>Watford Bridge>Dockyard>Hamilton. The Mangrove Bay PO is about 1/2 mile west of the Watford Bridge ferry dock on the main road at 3 Somerset Rd, where Mangrove Bay Rd meets it.

Here is the bus pricing information

http://www.seaexpress.bm/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=252&&PageID=468&mode=2&in_hi_userid=2&cached=true

[RichYak]

We did both. Ferry to Hamilton, shopped for a while, then hopped on the bus to Horseshoe Bay. After the beach, that same bus goes all the way back to the Dockyard.

[robtulipe]

There are two bus routes between the Dockyard and Hamilton. It's the #7 bus that goes via the south shore beaches route, pass Horseshoe, Stonehole, Warwick Long and Elbow beaches. The #8 bus goes by Middle Road which is the north or Great Sound shore route.

Also the bus tickets mentioned above can only be used on buses and can't be used for the ferry.

[Tigers2]

YES!!!! Bus #7 to the beach or Pay $12 and see Hamilton by ferry and bus to Horseshoe Beach. We were on the EOS on 6/11 and chose the second option. There was plenty of time to see both with time to spare for shopping and rum cake at the Dockyard!

[sailawayjack]

We were at Horseshoe last month and it was very crowded! It was a beautiful beach, but lots of people.

 

The next day we went to Elbow Beach and had it all to ourselves - beautiful! The only problem was there were no restrooms/changing rooms, but just up the beach is a resort that you could use.

 

The sand at both beaches is the softest I have ever felt - absolutely beautiful with the pink bits of coral. Enjoy your cruise!

 

:cool:On the right side of the beach, facing the water, there are a couple of caves which you can walk in. Then down the beach, far left, there a great rock formations that you can walk around. Well worth the walk down there.:cool:

[negc]

We were recently in Bermuda on the NCL Spirit and found that the two day transportation pass which allowed you to ride both the ferries and the buses was very worthwhile ($20 per person). We took the ferry r/t to St. Georges one day and on the second day we took a ferry to Hamilton and a bus to Horseshoe Bay. When we eventually left the beach we simply took the bus back to the Dockyard. Horseshoe Bay is very popular and can get crowded but it has chair rentals, food and beverages available for purchase, and changing facilities. By taking the ferry to Hamilton and a bus to the beach and back to the Dockyard by bus, we saw a good part of the island for a very reasonable amount.:)